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Hain E, He K, Batista-Andrade JA, Feerick A, Tarnowski M, Timm A, Blaney L. Geospatial and co-occurrence analysis of antibiotics, hormones, and UV filters in the Chesapeake Bay (USA) to confirm inputs from wastewater treatment plants, septic systems, and animal feeding operations. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 460:132405. [PMID: 37651932 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have reported select contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in limited areas of the Chesapeake Bay (USA), but no comprehensive efforts have been conducted. In this work, 43 antibiotics, 9 hormones, 11 UV filters, and sucralose, were measured in matched water, sediment, and oyster samples from 58 sites. The highest sucralose concentration was 3051 ng L-1 in a subwatershed with 4.43 million liters of wastewater effluent per day (MLD) and 4385 septic systems. Although antibiotic occurrence was generally low in subwatersheds located in less populated areas, 102 ng L-1 ciprofloxacin was detected downstream of 0.58 MLD wastewater effluent and 10 animal feeding operations. Hormones were not regularly detected in water (2%) or oysters (37%), but the high detection frequencies in sediment (74%) were associated with septic systems. UV filters were ubiquitously detected in oysters, and octisalate exhibited the highest concentration (423 ng g-1). Oyster-phase oxybenzone and aqueous-phase sucralose concentrations were significantly correlated to wastewater effluent and septic systems, respectively. Toxicity outcomes were predicted for homosalate and octisalate throughout the Bay, and antimicrobial resistance concerns were noted for the Chester River. The geospatial and co-occurrence relationships constitute crucial advances to understanding CEC occurrence in the Chesapeake Bay and elsewhere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan Hain
- University of Maryland Baltimore County, Department of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Engineering 314, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA
| | - Ke He
- University of Maryland Baltimore County, Department of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Engineering 314, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA
| | - Jahir A Batista-Andrade
- University of Maryland Baltimore County, Department of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Engineering 314, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA
| | - Anna Feerick
- University of Maryland Baltimore County, Department of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Engineering 314, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA
| | - Mitchell Tarnowski
- Maryland Department of Natural Resources, 580 Taylor Ave, B-2, Annapolis, MD 21401, USA
| | - Anne Timm
- USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, 5523 Research Park Drive, Suite 350, Baltimore, MD 21228, USA
| | - Lee Blaney
- University of Maryland Baltimore County, Department of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Engineering 314, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA.
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Blazer VS, Walsh HL, Sperry AJ, Raines B, Willacker JJ, Eagles-Smith CA. A multi-level assessment of biological effects associated with mercury concentrations in smallmouth bass, Micropterus dolomieu. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 329:121688. [PMID: 37088253 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Total mercury (THg) was measured in muscle (fillet) and liver tissue of adult smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu collected at multiple sites in the Potomac and Susquehanna River drainages within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Smallmouth bass in these drainages have experienced episodic mortality events, a high prevalence of skin lesions and reproductive endocrine disruption (intersex or testicular oocytes and plasma vitellogenin in males). A multi-level assessment of general and reproductive health including indicators at the organismal, organ, cellular and molecular levels was conducted on adult smallmouth bass during the spring (prespawn) season. Concentrations of THg were correlated with increased visible abnormalities, increased macrophage aggregates and tissue parasite burdens. In male bass positive correlations of THg were observed with plasma vitellogenin and hepatic transcript abundance of estrogen receptor β1 and androgen receptor α, while there was a negative association with estrogen receptors α and β2 and androgen receptors β. In female bass there was a negative correlation between THg and plasma vitellogenin as well as hepatic transcript abundance of vitellogenin, choriogenin, estrogen receptor β2 and 17β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase. Associations of THg concentrations with various biological indicators suggest mercury may be an important environmental stressor contributing to the observed adverse effects in smallmouth bass populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicki S Blazer
- U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Leetown Research Laboratory, 11649 Leetown Road, Kearneysville, WV, 25430, USA.
| | - Heather L Walsh
- U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Leetown Research Laboratory, 11649 Leetown Road, Kearneysville, WV, 25430, USA
| | - Adam J Sperry
- U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Leetown Research Laboratory, 11649 Leetown Road, Kearneysville, WV, 25430, USA
| | - Brenna Raines
- U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Leetown Research Laboratory, 11649 Leetown Road, Kearneysville, WV, 25430, USA
| | - James J Willacker
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, 3200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Collin A Eagles-Smith
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, 3200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
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Declines in Reproductive Condition of Male Largemouth Bass ( Micropterus salmoides) Following Seasonal Exposure to Estrogenic Endocrine-Disrupting Compounds. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232416131. [PMID: 36555769 PMCID: PMC9785829 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232416131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Reproductive abnormalities, that could lead to possible effects at the population level, have been observed in wild fish throughout the United States, with high prevalence in largemouth bass (LMB; Micropterus salmoides) and smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu). Estrone (E1) and atrazine (ATR) are common environmental contaminants often associated with agricultural land use. 17alpha-ethinylestradiol (EE2) is a contaminant associated with wastewater treatment effluent, and a representative, well-studied estrogen commonly used for fish toxicity testing. Our objective was to assess whether early gonad recrudescence in adult fish was a period of sensitivity for alterations in reproductive condition and function. Adult male LMB were exposed from post-spawning to early gonad recrudescence to either a mixture of E1 (47.9 ng/L) + ATR (5.4 µg/L), or EE2 (2.4 ng/L) in outdoor experimental ponds. Gonad samples were collected from fish just prior to the start of exposure (July), at the end of the exposure period (December), the following spring just prior to spawning (April), and post spawning (May). Gonadosomatic index (GSI) was significantly reduced in E1 + ATR-exposed and EE2-exposed males compared to control at every post-exposure time point. Reduced sperm count and sperm motility were observed in the mixture treatment (E1 + ATR) compared to the control. Sperm motility was also reduced in the EE2 treatment. These data together indicate that estrogenic endocrine-disrupting compounds can lessen the reproductive condition of adult male LMB, and that effects of exposure during early gonad recrudescence can persist at least through the subsequent spawning cycle.
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Lazofsky A, Buckley B. Recent Trends in Multiclass Analysis of Emerging Endocrine Disrupting Contaminants (EDCs) in Drinking Water. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27248835. [PMID: 36557967 PMCID: PMC9781274 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27248835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Ingestion of water is a major route of human exposure to environmental contaminants. There have been numerous studies exploring the different compounds present in drinking water, with recent attention drawn to a new class of emerging contaminants: endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs). EDCs encompass a broad range of physio-chemically diverse compounds; from naturally occurring to manmade. Environmentally, EDCs are found as mixtures containing multiple classes at trace amounts. Human exposure to EDCs, even at low concentrations, is known to lead to adverse health effects. Therefore, the ability to evaluate EDC contamination with a high degree of sensitivity and accuracy is of the utmost importance. This review includes (i) discussion on the perceived and actual risks associated with EDC exposure (ii) regulatory actions that look to limit EDC contamination (iii) analytical methods, including sample preparation, instrumentation and bioassays that have been advanced and employed for multiclass EDC identification and quantitation.
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Breitmeyer SE, Walsh HL, Blazer VS, Bunnell JF, Burritt PM, Dragon J, Hladik ML, Bradley PM, Romanok KM, Smalling KL. Potential health effects of contaminant mixtures from point and nonpoint sources on fish and frogs in the New Jersey Pinelands. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 851:158205. [PMID: 36028019 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Aquatic ecosystems convey complex contaminant mixtures from anthropogenic pollution on a global scale. Point (e.g., municipal wastewater) and nonpoint sources (e.g., stormwater runoff) are both drivers of contaminant mixtures in aquatic habitats. The objectives of this study were to identify the contaminant mixtures present in surface waters impacted by both point and nonpoint sources, to determine if aquatic biota (amphibian and fish) health effects (testicular oocytes and parasites) occurred at these sites, and to understand if differences in biological and chemical measures existed between point (on-stream) and nonpoint sources (off-stream). To accomplish this, water chemistry, fishes, and frogs were collected from 21 sites in the New Jersey Pinelands, United States. Off-stream sites consisted of 3 reference and 10 degraded wetlands. On-stream sites consisted of two reference lakes and six degraded streams/lakes (four sites above and two sites below wastewater outfalls). Surface water was collected four times at each site and analyzed for 133 organic and inorganic contaminants. One native and five non-native fish species were collected from streams/lakes and native green frogs from wetlands (ponds and stormwater basins). Limited differences in contaminant concentrations were observed in reference and degraded wetlands but for streams/lakes, results indicated that landscape alteration, (upland agricultural and developed land) was the primary driver of contaminant concentrations rather than municipal wastewater. Incidence of estrogenic endocrine disruption (intersex) was species dependent with the highest prevalence observed in largemouth bass and black crappie and the lowest prevalence observed in green frogs and tessellated darters. Parasite prevalence was site and species dependent. Prevalence of eye parasites increased with increasing concentrations of industrial, mycotoxin, and cumulative inorganic contaminants. These findings are critical to support the conservation, protection, and management of a wide range of aquatic species in the Pinelands and elsewhere as habitat loss, alteration, and fragmentation increase with increasing development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara E Breitmeyer
- U.S. Geological Survey, New Jersey Water Science Center, 3450 Princeton Pike, Suite 110, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648, USA.
| | - Heather L Walsh
- U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center, 11649 Leetown Road, Kearneysville, WV 25430, USA
| | - Vicki S Blazer
- U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center, 11649 Leetown Road, Kearneysville, WV 25430, USA
| | - John F Bunnell
- New Jersey Pinelands Commission, PO Box 359, 15 Springfield Road, New Lisbon, NJ 08064, USA
| | - Patrick M Burritt
- New Jersey Pinelands Commission, PO Box 359, 15 Springfield Road, New Lisbon, NJ 08064, USA
| | - Jeff Dragon
- New Jersey Pinelands Commission, PO Box 359, 15 Springfield Road, New Lisbon, NJ 08064, USA
| | - Michelle L Hladik
- U.S. Geological Survey, California Water Science Center, 6000 J St, Placer Hall, Sacramento, CA 95819, USA
| | - Paul M Bradley
- U.S. Geological Survey, South Atlantic Water Science Center, 720 Gracern Rd, Suite 129, Columbia, SC 29210, USA
| | - Kristin M Romanok
- U.S. Geological Survey, New Jersey Water Science Center, 3450 Princeton Pike, Suite 110, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648, USA
| | - Kelly L Smalling
- U.S. Geological Survey, New Jersey Water Science Center, 3450 Princeton Pike, Suite 110, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648, USA
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Walsh HL, Gordon SE, Sperry AJ, Kashiwagi M, Mullican J, Blazer VS. A case study: temporal trends of environmental stressors and reproductive health of smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) from a site in the Potomac River Watershed, Maryland, USA. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2022; 31:1536-1553. [PMID: 36454361 PMCID: PMC9729326 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-022-02605-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Decades of poor reproductive success and young-of-the-year survival, combined with adult mortality events, have led to a decline in the smallmouth bass (SMB; Micropterus dolomieu) population in sections of the Potomac River. Previous studies have identified numerous biologic and environmental stressors associated with negative effects on SMB health. To better understand the impact of these stressors, this study was conducted at the confluence of Antietam Creek and the Potomac River from 2013 to 2019 to identify temporal changes associated with SMB reproductive health. Surface water samples were collected and analyzed for over 300 organic contaminants, including pesticides, phytoestrogens, pharmaceuticals, hormones and total estrogenicity (E2Eq). Adult SMB were collected and sampled for multiple endpoints, including gene transcripts associated with reproduction (molecular), histopathology (cellular), and organosomatic indices (tissue). In males, biomarkers of estrogenic endocrine disruption, including testicular oocytes (TO) and plasma vitellogenin (Vtg) were assessed. Numerous agriculture-related contaminants or land use patterns were associated with gene transcript abundance in both male and female SMB. Positive associations between pesticides in the immediate catchment with TO severity and E2Eq with plasma Vtg in males were identified. In males, the prevalence of TO and detectable levels of plasma Vtg, liver vitellogenin transcripts (vtg) and testis vtg were high throughout the study. Peaks of complex mixtures of numerous contaminants occurred during the spring/early summer when spawning and early development occurs and to a lesser extent in fall/winter during recrudescence. Management practices to reduce exposure during these critical and sensitive periods may enhance reproductive health of these economically important sportfishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather L Walsh
- U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Leetown Research Laboratory, 11649 Leetown Rd., Kearneysville, WV, 25430, USA.
| | - Stephanie E Gordon
- U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Leetown Research Laboratory, 11649 Leetown Rd., Kearneysville, WV, 25430, USA
| | - Adam J Sperry
- U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Leetown Research Laboratory, 11649 Leetown Rd., Kearneysville, WV, 25430, USA
| | - Michael Kashiwagi
- Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Fishing and Boating Services, 10932 Putman Rd., Thurmont, MD, 21788, USA
| | - John Mullican
- Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Fishing and Boating Services, 20901 Fish Hatchery Rd., Hagerstown, MD, 21740, USA
| | - Vicki S Blazer
- U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Leetown Research Laboratory, 11649 Leetown Rd., Kearneysville, WV, 25430, USA
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7
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Leet JK, Greer JB, Richter CA, Iwanowicz LR, Spinard E, McDonald J, Conway C, Gale RW, Tillitt DE, Hansen JD. Exposure to 17α-Ethinylestradiol Results in Differential Susceptibility of Largemouth Bass ( Micropterus salmoides) to Bacterial Infection. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:14375-14386. [PMID: 36197672 PMCID: PMC9583602 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c02250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Disease outbreaks, skin lesions, mortality events, and reproductive abnormalities have been observed in wild populations of centrarchids. The presence of estrogenic endocrine disrupting compounds (EEDCs) has been implicated as a potential causal factor for these effects. The effects of prior EEDC exposure on immune response were examined in juvenile largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) exposed to a potent synthetic estrogen (17α-ethinylestradiol, EE2) at a low (EE2Low, 0.87 ng/L) or high (EE2High, 9.08 ng/L) dose for 4 weeks, followed by transfer to clean water and injection with an LD40 dose of the Gram-negative bacteria Edwardsiella piscicida. Unexpectedly, this prior exposure to EE2High significantly increased survivorship at 10 d post-infection compared to solvent control or EE2Low-exposed, infected fish. Both prior exposure and infection with E. piscicida led to significantly reduced hepatic glycogen levels, indicating a stress response resulting in depletion of energy stores. Additionally, pathway analysis for liver and spleen indicated differentially expressed genes associated with immunometabolic processes in the mock-injected EE2High treatment that could underlie the observed protective effect and metabolic shift in EE2High-infected fish. Our results demonstrate that exposure to a model EEDC alters metabolism and immune function in a fish species that is ecologically and economically important in North America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica K. Leet
- U.S.
Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental
Research Center, 4200
New Haven Road, Columbia, Missouri 65201, United
States
| | - Justin B. Greer
- U.S.
Geological Survey, Western Fisheries Research
Center, 6505 NE 65th Street, Seattle, Washington 98115, United States
| | - Catherine A. Richter
- U.S.
Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental
Research Center, 4200
New Haven Road, Columbia, Missouri 65201, United
States
| | - Luke R. Iwanowicz
- U.S.
Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science
Center, 11649 Leetown
Road, Kearneysville, West
Virginia 25430, United
States
| | - Edward Spinard
- U.S.
Geological Survey, Western Fisheries Research
Center, 6505 NE 65th Street, Seattle, Washington 98115, United States
| | - Jacquelyn McDonald
- U.S.
Geological Survey, Western Fisheries Research
Center, 6505 NE 65th Street, Seattle, Washington 98115, United States
| | - Carla Conway
- U.S.
Geological Survey, Western Fisheries Research
Center, 6505 NE 65th Street, Seattle, Washington 98115, United States
| | - Robert W. Gale
- U.S.
Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental
Research Center, 4200
New Haven Road, Columbia, Missouri 65201, United
States
| | - Donald E. Tillitt
- U.S.
Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental
Research Center, 4200
New Haven Road, Columbia, Missouri 65201, United
States
| | - John D. Hansen
- U.S.
Geological Survey, Western Fisheries Research
Center, 6505 NE 65th Street, Seattle, Washington 98115, United States
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Kadlec SM, Blackwell BR, Blanksma CA, Johnson RD, Olker JH, Schoff PK, Mount DR. Gonadal Development in Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus Dolomieu) Reared in the Absence and Presence of 17-α-Ethinylestradiol. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2022; 41:1416-1428. [PMID: 35199887 PMCID: PMC11131168 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 11/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Testicular oocytes in wild adult bass (Micropterus spp.) are considered a potential indication of exposure to estrogenic compounds in municipal, agricultural, or industrial wastewater. However, our ability to interpret links between testicular oocyte occurrence in wild fish species and environmental pollutants is limited by our understanding of normal and abnormal gonadal development. We previously reported low-to-moderate testicular oocyte prevalence (7%-38%) among adult male bass collected from Minnesota waters with no known sources of estrogenic compounds. In the present study, two experiments were conducted in which smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) fry were exposed to control water or 17-α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) during gonadal differentiation, then reared in clean water for an additional period. Histological samples were evaluated at several time points during the exposure and grow-out periods, and the sequence and timing of gonadal development in the presence of estrogen were compared with that of control fish. Testicular oocytes were not observed in any control or EE2-exposed fish. Among groups exposed to 1.2 or 5.1 ng/L EE2 in Experiment 1 or 3.0 ng/L EE2 in Experiment 2, ovaries were observed in 100% of fish up to 90 days after exposure ceased, and approximately half of those ovaries had abnormal characteristics, suggesting that they likely developed in sex-reversed males. Groups exposed to 0.1, 0.4, or 1.0 ng/L in Experiment 2 developed histologically normal ovaries and testes in proportions not significantly different from 1:1. These findings suggest that, while presumably able to cause sex reversal, juvenile exposure to EE2 may not be a unique cause of testicular oocytes in wild bass, although the long-term outcomes of exposure are unknown. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:1416-1428. © 2022 SETAC. This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M. Kadlec
- Integrated Biosciences Graduate Program, University of Minnesota, Duluth, Minnesota, USA
- U.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development, Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division, Duluth, Minnesota, USA
| | - Brett R. Blackwell
- U.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development, Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division, Duluth, Minnesota, USA
| | - Chad A. Blanksma
- U.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development, Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division, Duluth, Minnesota, USA
- Badger Technical Services, Duluth, Minnesota, USA
| | - Rodney D. Johnson
- Integrated Biosciences Graduate Program, University of Minnesota, Duluth, Minnesota, USA
- U.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development, Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division, Duluth, Minnesota, USA
| | - Jennifer H. Olker
- U.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development, Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division, Duluth, Minnesota, USA
- Natural Resources Research Institute, University of Minnesota—Duluth, Duluth, Minnesota, USA
| | - Patrick K. Schoff
- Integrated Biosciences Graduate Program, University of Minnesota, Duluth, Minnesota, USA
- Natural Resources Research Institute, University of Minnesota—Duluth, Duluth, Minnesota, USA
| | - David R. Mount
- Integrated Biosciences Graduate Program, University of Minnesota, Duluth, Minnesota, USA
- U.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development, Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division, Duluth, Minnesota, USA
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9
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Development and Demonstration of an Endocrine-Disrupting Compound Footprint Calculator. WATER 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/w14101587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Chemicals in personal care products used in everyday lives become part of the wastewater stream. Wastewater treatment plants were not designed to remove these chemicals; therefore, these products and their metabolites persist in the effluent. Many of these chemicals are known, or suspected to be, endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) and can cause adverse impacts to aquatic organisms at trace concentrations. Here, we developed a publicly available EDC footprint calculator to estimate a household’s EDC footprint. The calculator prompts users to input the number of products they own in each of three categories: health and beauty, laundry, and cleaning. The calculator, which is programmed with average values of EDCs in each product, outputs an estimate of the user’s EDC footprint (mass) and ranks the contribution of each product to the footprint. When used by a group of 39 citizen scientists across the Susquehanna River Basin in the northeastern United States, the average household EDC footprint was ~150 g. Results of this tool aid in decision making by providing users with the information necessary to reduce the household’s footprint through product selection that avoids specific ingredients or by replacing the top-ranking products with greener alternatives.
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10
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Smalling KL, Mosher BA, Iwanowicz LR, Loftin KA, Boehlke A, Hladik ML, Muletz-Wolz CR, Córtes-Rodríguez N, Femmer R, Campbell Grant EH. Site- and Individual-Level Contaminations Affect Infection Prevalence of an Emerging Infectious Disease of Amphibians. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2022; 41:781-791. [PMID: 35040181 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Emerging infectious disease outbreaks are one of multiple stressors responsible for amphibian declines globally. In the northeastern United States, ranaviral diseases are prevalent in amphibians and other ectothermic species, but there is still uncertainty as to whether their presence is leading to population-level effects. Further, there is also uncertainty surrounding the potential interactions among disease infection prevalence in free-ranging animals and habitat degradation (co-occurrence of chemical stressors). The present study was designed to provide field-based estimates of the relationship between amphibian disease and chemical stressors. We visited 40 wetlands across three protected areas, estimated the prevalence of ranavirus among populations of larval wood frogs and spotted salamanders, and assessed chemical and biological stressors in wetland habitats and larval amphibians using a suite of selected bioassays, screening tools, and chemical analyses. Ranavirus was detected on larval amphibians from each protected area with an estimated occupancy ranging from 0.27 to 0.55. Considerable variation in ranavirus occupancy was also observed within and among each protected area. Of the stressors evaluated, ranavirus prevalence was strongly and positively related to concentrations of metalloestrogens (metals with the potential to bind to estrogen receptors) and total metals in wetland sediments and weakly and negatively related to total pesticide concentrations in larval amphibians. These results can be used by land managers to refine habitat assessments to include such environmental factors with the potential to influence disease susceptibility. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:781-791. © 2022 SETAC. This article has been contributed to by US Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly L Smalling
- New Jersey Water Science Center, US Geological Survey, Lawrenceville, New Jersey, USA
| | - Brittany A Mosher
- Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA
| | - Luke R Iwanowicz
- Eastern Ecological Science Center at Leetown, US Geological Survey, Kearneysville, West Virginia, USA
| | - Keith A Loftin
- Kansas Water Science Center, US Geological Survey, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
| | - Adam Boehlke
- Geology, Geochemistry and Geophysics Science Center, US Geological Survey, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Michelle L Hladik
- California Water Science Center, US Geological Survey, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Carly R Muletz-Wolz
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Nandadevi Córtes-Rodríguez
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ithaca College, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Robin Femmer
- Kansas Water Science Center, US Geological Survey, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
| | - Evan H Campbell Grant
- Eastern Ecological Science Center, S.O. Conte Anadromous Fish Research Laboratory, US Geological Survey, Turner Falls, Massachusetts, USA
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Blazer VS, Gordon S, Jones DK, Iwanowicz LR, Walsh HL, Sperry AJ, Smalling KL. Retrospective analysis of estrogenic endocrine disruption and land-use influences in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 266:129009. [PMID: 33276999 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.129009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 11/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States and its watershed includes river drainages in six states and the District of Columbia. Sportfishing is of major economic interest, however, the rivers within the watershed provide numerous other ecological, recreational, cultural and economic benefits, as well as serving as a drinking water source for millions of people. Consequently, major fish kills and the subsequent finding of estrogenic endocrine disruption (intersex or testicular oocytes and plasma vitellogenin in male fishes) raised public and management concerns. Studies have occurred at various sites within the Bay watershed to document the extent and severity of endocrine disruption, identify risk factors and document temporal and spatial variability. Data from these focal studies, which began in 2004, were used in CART (classification and regression trees) analyses to better identify land use associations and potential management practices that influence estrogenic endocrine disruption. These analyses emphasized the importance of scale (immediate versus upstream catchment) and the complex mixtures of stressors which can contribute to surface water estrogenicity and the associated adverse effects of exposure. Both agricultural (percent cultivated, pesticide application, phytoestrogen cover crops) and developed (population density, road density, impervious surface) land cover showed positive relationships to estrogenic indicators, while percent forest and shrubs generally had a negative association. The findings can serve as a baseline for assessing ongoing restoration and management practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicki S Blazer
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Fish Health Research Laboratory, Leetown Science Center, Kearneysville, WV, 25430, USA.
| | - Stephanie Gordon
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Fish Health Research Laboratory, Leetown Science Center, Kearneysville, WV, 25430, USA.
| | - Daniel K Jones
- U.S. Geological Survey, Utah Water Science Center, West Valley City, UT, 84119, USA.
| | - Luke R Iwanowicz
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Fish Health Research Laboratory, Leetown Science Center, Kearneysville, WV, 25430, USA.
| | - Heather L Walsh
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Fish Health Research Laboratory, Leetown Science Center, Kearneysville, WV, 25430, USA.
| | - Adam J Sperry
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Fish Health Research Laboratory, Leetown Science Center, Kearneysville, WV, 25430, USA.
| | - Kelly L Smalling
- U.S. Geological Survey, New Jersey Water Science Center, Lawrenceville, NJ, 08648, USA.
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12
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Gordon S, Jones DK, Blazer VS, Iwanowicz L, Williams B, Smalling K. Modeling estrogenic activity in streams throughout the Potomac and Chesapeake Bay watersheds. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2021; 193:105. [PMID: 33527185 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-021-08899-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 01/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs), specifically estrogenic endocrine-disrupting compounds, vary in concentration and composition in surface waters under the influence of different landscape sources and landcover gradients. Estrogenic activity in surface waters may lead to adverse effects in aquatic species at both individual and population levels, often observed through the presence of intersex and vitellogenin induction in male fish. In the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, located on the mid-Atlantic coast of the USA, intersex has been observed in several sub-watersheds where previous studies have identified specific landscape sources of EDCs in tandem with observed fish health effects. Previous work in the Potomac River Watershed (PRW), the largest basin within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, was leveraged to build random forest regression models to predict estrogenic activity at unsampled reaches in both the Potomac River and larger Chesapeake Bay Watersheds (CBW). Model outputs including important variables, partial dependence plots, and predicted values of estrogenic activity at unsampled reaches provide insight into drivers of estrogenic activity at different seasons and scales. Using the US Environmental Protection Agency effects-based threshold of 1.0 ng/L 17 β-estradiol equivalents, catchments predicted to exceed this value were categorized as at risk for adverse effects from exposure to estrogenic compounds and evaluated relative to healthy watersheds and recreation access locations throughout the PRW. Results show immediate catchment scale models are more reliable than upstream models, and the best predictive variables differ by season and scale. A small percentage of healthy watersheds (< 13%) and public access sites were classified as at risk using the "Total" (annual) model in the CBW. This study is the first Potomac River Watershed assessment of estrogenic activity, providing a new foundation for future risk assessment and management design efforts, with additional context provided for the entire Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Gordon
- U.S. Geological Survey Leetown Science Center Aquatic Ecology Laboratory, Kearneysville, WV, USA.
| | - Daniel K Jones
- U.S. Geological Survey Utah Water Science Center, West Valley City, UT, USA
| | - Vicki S Blazer
- U.S. Geological Survey Leetown Science Center Fish Health Laboratory, Kearneysville, WV, USA
| | - Luke Iwanowicz
- U.S. Geological Survey Leetown Science Center Fish Health Laboratory, Kearneysville, WV, USA
| | - Brianna Williams
- U.S. Geological Survey New Jersey Water Science Center, Lawrenceville, NJ, USA
| | - Kelly Smalling
- U.S. Geological Survey New Jersey Water Science Center, Lawrenceville, NJ, USA
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13
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Leet JK, Richter CA, Cornman RS, Berninger JP, Bhandari RK, Nicks DK, Zajicek JL, Blazer VS, Tillitt DE. Effects of early life stage exposure of largemouth bass to atrazine or a model estrogen (17α-ethinylestradiol). PeerJ 2020; 8:e9614. [PMID: 33072434 PMCID: PMC7537618 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Endocrine disrupting contaminants are of continuing concern for potentially contributing to reproductive dysfunction in largemouth and smallmouth bass in the Chesapeake Bay watershed (CBW) and elsewhere. Exposures to atrazine (ATR) have been hypothesized to have estrogenic effects on vertebrate endocrine systems. The incidence of intersex in male smallmouth bass from some regions of CBW has been correlated with ATR concentrations in water. Fish early life stages may be particularly vulnerable to ATR exposure in agricultural areas, as a spring influx of pesticides coincides with spawning and early development. Our objectives were to investigate the effects of early life stage exposure to ATR or the model estrogen 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) on sexual differentiation and gene expression in gonad tissue. We exposed newly hatched largemouth bass (LMB, Micropterus salmoides) from 7 to 80 days post-spawn to nominal concentrations of 1, 10, or 100 µg ATR/L or 1 or 10 ng EE2/L and monitored histological development and transcriptomic changes in gonad tissue. We observed a nearly 100% female sex ratio in LMB exposed to EE2 at 10 ng/L, presumably due to sex reversal of males. Many gonad genes were differentially expressed between sexes. Multidimensional scaling revealed clustering by gene expression of the 1 ng EE2/L and 100 µg ATR/L-treated male fish. Some pathways responsive to EE2 exposure were not sex-specific. We observed differential expression in male gonad in LMB exposed to EE2 at 1 ng/L of several genes involved in reproductive development and function, including star, cyp11a2, ddx4 (previously vasa), wnt5b, cyp1a and samhd1. Expression of star, cyp11a2 and cyp1a in males was also responsive to ATR exposure. Overall, our results confirm that early development is a sensitive window for estrogenic endocrine disruption in LMB and are consistent with the hypothesis that ATR exposure induces some estrogenic responses in the developing gonad. However, ATR-specific and EE2-specific responses were also observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica K Leet
- Columbia Environmental Research Center, United States Geological Survey, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Catherine A Richter
- Columbia Environmental Research Center, United States Geological Survey, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Robert S Cornman
- Fort Collins Science Center, United States Geological Survey, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Jason P Berninger
- Columbia Environmental Research Center, United States Geological Survey, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Ramji K Bhandari
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA
| | - Diane K Nicks
- Columbia Environmental Research Center, United States Geological Survey, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - James L Zajicek
- Columbia Environmental Research Center, United States Geological Survey, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Vicki S Blazer
- Leetown Science Center, United States Geological Survey, Kearneysville, WV, USA
| | - Donald E Tillitt
- Columbia Environmental Research Center, United States Geological Survey, Columbia, MO, USA
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14
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Hubbard LE, Givens CE, Griffin DW, Iwanowicz LR, Meyer MT, Kolpin DW. Poultry litter as potential source of pathogens and other contaminants in groundwater and surface water proximal to large-scale confined poultry feeding operations. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 735:139459. [PMID: 32485450 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Manure from livestock production has been associated with the contamination of water resources. To date, research has primarily focused on runoff of these contaminants from animal operations into surface water, and the introduction of poultry-derived pathogenic zoonoses and other contaminants into groundwater is under-investigated. We characterized pathogens and other microbial and chemical contaminants in poultry litter, groundwater, and surface water near confined poultry feeding operations (chicken layer, turkey) at 9 locations in Iowa and one in Wisconsin from May and June 2016. Results indicate that poultry litter from large-scale poultry confined feeding operations is a likely source of environmental contamination and that groundwater is also susceptible to such poultry-derived contamination. Poultry litter, groundwater, and surface water samples had detections of viable bacteria growth (Salmonella spp., enterococci, staphylococci, lactobacilli), multi-drug resistant Salmonella DT104 flost and int genes, F+ RNA coliphage (group I and IV), antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs; blaDHA, blaOXA-48, blaTEM, blaCMY-2, tetM), phytoestrogens (biochanin A, daidzein, formononetin), and a progestin (progesterone). In addition, mcr-1 (a colistin ARG), was detected in a groundwater sample and in another groundwater sample, antibiotic resistant isolates were positive for Brevibacterium spp., a potential signature of poultry in the environment. Detectable estrogenicity was not measured in poultry litter, but was observed in 67% of the surface water samples and 22% were above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency trigger level of 1 ng/L. The transport of microbial pathogens to groundwater was significantly greater (p < 0.001) than the transport of trace organic contaminants to groundwater in this study. In addition to viable pathogens, several clinically important ARGs were detected in litter, groundwater, and surface water, highlighting the need for additional research on sources of these contaminants in livestock dominated areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- L E Hubbard
- U.S. Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Water Science Center, 8505 Research Way, Middleton, WI 53562, USA.
| | - C E Givens
- U.S. Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Water Science Center, 5840 Enterprise Drive, Lansing, MI 48911, USA
| | - D W Griffin
- U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, 600 4th Street South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, USA
| | - L R Iwanowicz
- U.S. Geological Survey, Leetown Science Center, 11649 Leetown Road, Kearneysville, WV 25430, USA
| | - M T Meyer
- U.S. Geological Survey, Kansas Water Science Center, 1217 Biltmore Drive, Lawrence, KS 66049, USA
| | - D W Kolpin
- U.S. Geological Survey, Central Midwest Science Center, 400 South Clinton Street Suite 269, Iowa City, IA 52240, USA
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15
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Urich ML, Henderson WM, MacLeod AH, Yonkos LT, Bringolf RB. Gonad metabolomics and blood biochemical analysis reveal differences associated with testicular oocytes in wild largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2020; 250:110491. [PMID: 32827749 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2020.110491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Adverse reproductive effects associated with gonadal intersex among freshwater fish could hold considerable implications for population sustainability. Presence of testicular oocytes (TO) is the most common form of intersex and is widespread among centrarchids (sunfishes) of North America and other freshwater teleosts. Placing TO within the toxicological context of adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) to assess ecological risk is a priority for ecotoxicologists due to the association of TO with harmful chemical exposure and adverse reproductive effects in some cases. However, key event relationships between EDC exposure, incidence of TO, and apical outcomes have yet to be fully elucidated - in part due to a lack of knowledge of relationships between intersex gonad physiology and fish health. Understanding the physiological status of intersex fish is critical to assess ecological risk, understand mechanisms of induction, and to establish biomarkers of intersex in fish. In the present study, features of gonad metabolite profiles associated with TO in largemouth bass (LMB, Micropterus salmoides) from an impoundment in Georgia (USA) were determined using GC-MS-based metabolomics. Clinical blood biochemical screens were used to evaluate markers of fish health associated with TO. Results suggest that physiological changes in energy expenditure as well as relatively 'feminized' gonad lipid and protein metabolism may be related to the occurrence of TO in male LMB, and highlight the need to understand relationships between intersex and physical stressors such as elevated temperature and hypoxia. These results provide novel insight to AOPs associated with TO and identify candidate analytes for biomarker discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew L Urich
- University of Georgia, Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources, Interdisciplinary Toxicology Program, Athens, GA, USA
| | - W Matthew Henderson
- United State Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Alexander H MacLeod
- University of Maryland, Environmental Sciences Department, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Lance T Yonkos
- University of Maryland, Environmental Sciences Department, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Robert B Bringolf
- University of Georgia, Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources, Interdisciplinary Toxicology Program, Athens, GA, USA.
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16
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Iwanowicz LR, Smalling KL, Blazer VS, Braham RP, Sanders LR, Boetsma A, Procopio NA, Goodrow S, Buchanan GA, Millemann DR, Ruppel B, Vile J, Henning B, Abatemarco J. Reconnaissance of Surface Water Estrogenicity and the Prevalence of Intersex in Smallmouth Bass ( Micropterus Dolomieu) Inhabiting New Jersey. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17062024. [PMID: 32204384 PMCID: PMC7142597 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17062024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The observation of testicular oocytes in male fishes has been utilized as a biomarker of estrogenic endocrine disruption. A reconnaissance project led in the Northeastern United States (US) during the period of 2008–2010 identified a high prevalence of intersex smallmouth bass on or near US Fish & Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuges that included the observation of 100% prevalence in smallmouth bass males collected from the Wallkill River, NJ, USA. To better assess the prevalence of intersex smallmouth bass across the state of New Jersey, a tiered reconnaissance approach was initiated during the fall of 2016. Surface water samples were collected from 101 (85 river, 16 lake/reservoir) sites across the state at base-flow conditions for estrogenicity bioassay screening. Detectable estrogenicity was observed at 90% of the sites and 64% were above the US Environmental Protection Agency trigger level of 1 ng/L. Median surface water estrogenicity was 1.8 ng/L and a maximum of 6.9 ng/L E2EqBLYES was observed. Adult smallmouth bass were collected from nine sites, pre-spawn during the spring of 2017. Intersex was identified in fish at all sites, and the composite intersex prevalence was 93.8%. Prevalence across sites ranged from 70.6% to 100%. In addition to intersex, there was detectable plasma vitellogenin in males at all sites. Total estrogenicity in surface water was determined at these fish collection sites, and notable change over time was observed. Correlation analysis indicated significant positive correlations between land use (altered land; urban + agriculture) and surface water estrogenicity. There were no clear associations between land use and organismal metrics of estrogenic endocrine disruption (intersex or vitellogenin). This work establishes a baseline prevalence of intersex in male smallmouth bass in the state of New Jersey at a limited number of locations and identifies a number of waterbodies with estrogenic activity above an effects-based threshold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke R. Iwanowicz
- US Geological Survey, Leetown Science Center, Kearneysville, WV 25430, USA; (V.S.B.); (R.P.B.); (L.R.S.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: 304-724-4550
| | - Kelly L. Smalling
- US Geological Survey, New Jersey Water Science Center, Lawrence, NJ 08648, USA; (K.L.S.); (A.B.)
| | - Vicki S. Blazer
- US Geological Survey, Leetown Science Center, Kearneysville, WV 25430, USA; (V.S.B.); (R.P.B.); (L.R.S.)
| | - Ryan P. Braham
- US Geological Survey, Leetown Science Center, Kearneysville, WV 25430, USA; (V.S.B.); (R.P.B.); (L.R.S.)
| | - Lakyn R. Sanders
- US Geological Survey, Leetown Science Center, Kearneysville, WV 25430, USA; (V.S.B.); (R.P.B.); (L.R.S.)
| | - Anna Boetsma
- US Geological Survey, New Jersey Water Science Center, Lawrence, NJ 08648, USA; (K.L.S.); (A.B.)
| | - Nicholas A. Procopio
- New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science and Research, Trenton, NJ 08625, USA; (N.A.P.); (S.G.); (G.A.B.); (D.R.M.); (B.R.)
| | - Sandra Goodrow
- New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science and Research, Trenton, NJ 08625, USA; (N.A.P.); (S.G.); (G.A.B.); (D.R.M.); (B.R.)
| | - Gary A. Buchanan
- New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science and Research, Trenton, NJ 08625, USA; (N.A.P.); (S.G.); (G.A.B.); (D.R.M.); (B.R.)
| | - Daniel R. Millemann
- New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science and Research, Trenton, NJ 08625, USA; (N.A.P.); (S.G.); (G.A.B.); (D.R.M.); (B.R.)
| | - Bruce Ruppel
- New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science and Research, Trenton, NJ 08625, USA; (N.A.P.); (S.G.); (G.A.B.); (D.R.M.); (B.R.)
| | - John Vile
- New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Water Monitoring and Standards, Trenton, NJ 08625, USA; (J.V.); (B.H.); (J.A.)
| | - Brian Henning
- New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Water Monitoring and Standards, Trenton, NJ 08625, USA; (J.V.); (B.H.); (J.A.)
| | - John Abatemarco
- New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Water Monitoring and Standards, Trenton, NJ 08625, USA; (J.V.); (B.H.); (J.A.)
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17
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Christiana Grim K, Henderson EE, Wolfe MJ, Wolf JC. Histopathologic Prevalence and Severity of Testicular Oocytes in Smallmouth Bass from Two Archival Collections. JOURNAL OF AQUATIC ANIMAL HEALTH 2020; 32:32-43. [PMID: 32079041 DOI: 10.1002/aah.10096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 12/08/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
During recent decades, survey studies have documented the widespread presence of oocytes in the testes of male Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu collected from surface waters throughout the United States. There are few published reports of testicular oocytes (TO) in Smallmouth Bass before the 1990s, so it is difficult to know how long this has been occurring. Consequently, this study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence and severity of TO occurrence in whole fish specimens from two archival collections-the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History in Suitland, Maryland, and Cornell University's Museum of Vertebrates in Ithaca, New York. Gonads were excised from 167 preserved male Smallmouth Bass that were originally collected between 1875 and 2004, and routine histologic sections were prepared and examined. The severity of TO was determined using a semiquantitative scoring system. Overall, 52.1% of male Smallmouth Bass were found to have TO. Affected fish had been collected in 11 of the 18 represented states, and TO were found in specimens harvested during decades as early as the 1880s and 1900s. Unfortunately, the small number of samples acquired at the earliest time periods precluded analyses of prevalence and severity trends over time. The results of this study demonstrated that the phenomenon of TO in male Smallmouth Bass is at least a century old and confirmed the widespread nature of this finding throughout the species' historic range. Further research efforts should focus on determining the baseline prevalence of TO in laboratory-reared male Smallmouth Bass that have not been exposed to endocrine active substances or the effects of experimental estrogen exposure on such fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Christiana Grim
- Smithsonian National Zoological Park, Center for Species Survival, Front Royal, Virginia 22630, USA
| | - Eileen E Henderson
- Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA
| | - Marilyn J Wolfe
- Experimental Pathology Laboratories, Inc., Sterling, Virginia 20166, USA
| | - Jeffrey C Wolf
- Experimental Pathology Laboratories, Inc., Sterling, Virginia 20166, USA
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18
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Prucha MS, Martyniuk CJ, Doperalski NJ, Kroll KJ, Barber DS, Denslow ND. Steroidogenic acute regulatory protein transcription is regulated by estrogen receptor signaling in largemouth bass ovary. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2020; 286:113300. [PMID: 31678557 PMCID: PMC6993601 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2019.113300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Revised: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Estrogenic contaminants in the environment are linked to the occurrence of reproductive abnormalities in many aquatic species, including largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides; LMB). Previous work has shown that many different types of xenoestrogens regulate expression of the Steroidogenic Acute Regulatory protein (StAR), a cholesterol-transporting protein vital to steroid hormone biosynthesis; however, the regulatory mechanisms of StAR are incompletely characterized in fish. To learn more about endogenous expression patterns of StAR in the ovary, LMB were collected from the St. John's River (Florida, USA) over an entire breeding season to investigate StAR expression. Plasma 17β-estradiol (E2) and StAR mRNA levels were positively correlated in females, and StAR mRNA levels displayed ~ 100-fold increase between primary oocyte growth stages and final maturation. To further study the regulation of StAR, female LMB in the laboratory were fed at ≃2% of their weight on a diet laden with 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2, 70 or 200 ng EE2 per gram feed). Diets were designed to achieve a physiologically-relevant exposure to EE2, and StAR expression was assessed in vivo. We observed a dose-dependent suppression of StAR mRNA levels, however both diets led to high, pharmacological levels in the blood and do not represent normal physiological ranges of estrogens. In the 200 ng EE2/gm feed group, ovarian StAR mRNA levels were suppressed to approximately 5% of that of the LMB control group. These investigations suggest that LMB StAR increases in expression during oocyte maturation and that it is suppressed by E2 feedback when estrogen levels are high, through the HPG axis. A 2.9 kb segment of the LMB StAR promoter was examined for putative E2 response elements using in silico software, and a putative estrogen receptor binding element (ERE/-1745) was predicted in the promoter. The functionality of the ERE was examined using MA-10 mouse Leydig cells transfected with the LMB StAR promoter. Estrogen receptor (ER) interaction with ERE/-1745 was evaluated under basal and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)-treated conditions in the presence and absence of E2. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) experiments revealed that ESR1 binding to the promoter was enriched under basal conditions and E2 exposure elicited an increase in enrichment (4-fold) above that observed under basal conditions. ESR2 was not strongly enriched at the ERE/-1745 site, suggesting that StAR may be preferentially regulated by LMB estrogen receptor 1 (esr1). Taken together, these different experiments provide evidence that LMB StAR is under the control of estrogens and that ESR1 binds directly to the LMB StAR promoter in an E2-responsive manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melinda S Prucha
- Department of Physiological Sciences and Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, United States
| | - Christopher J Martyniuk
- Department of Physiological Sciences and Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, United States
| | - Nicholas J Doperalski
- Department of Physiological Sciences and Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, United States
| | - Kevin J Kroll
- Department of Physiological Sciences and Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, United States
| | - David S Barber
- Department of Physiological Sciences and Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, United States
| | - Nancy D Denslow
- Department of Physiological Sciences and Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, United States.
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19
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Barber LB, Rapp JL, Kandel C, Keefe SH, Rice J, Westerhoff P, Bertolatus DW, Vajda AM. Integrated Assessment of Wastewater Reuse, Exposure Risk, and Fish Endocrine Disruption in the Shenandoah River Watershed. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:3429-3440. [PMID: 30888795 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b05655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Reuse of municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent is used to augment freshwater supplies globally. The Shenandoah River Watershed (U.S.A.) was selected to conduct on-site exposure experiments to assess endocrine disrupting characteristics of different source waters. This investigation integrates WWTP wastewater reuse modeling, hydrological and chemical characterization, and in vivo endocrine disruption bioassessment to assess contaminant sources, exposure pathways, and biological effects. The percentage of accumulated WWTP effluent in each river reach (ACCWW%) was used to predict environmental concentrations for consumer product chemicals (boron), pharmaceutical compounds (carbamazepine), and steroidal estrogens (estrone, 17-β-estradiol, estriol, and 17-α-ethinylestradiol). Fish endocrine disruption was evaluated using vitellogenin induction in adult male or larval fathead minnows. Water samples were analyzed for >500 inorganic and organic constituents to characterize the complex contaminant mixtures. Municipal ACCWW% at drinking water treatment plant surface water intakes ranged from <0.01 to 2.0% under mean-annual streamflow and up to 4.5% under mean-August streamflow. Measured and predicted environmental concentrations resulted in 17-β-estradiol equivalency quotients ranging from 0.002 to 5.0 ng L-1 indicating low-to-moderate risk of fish endocrine disruption. Results from the fish exposure experiments showed low (0.5- to 3.2-fold) vitellogenin induction in adult males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larry B Barber
- U.S. Geological Survey , 3215 Marine Street , Boulder , Colorado 80303 , United States
| | - Jennifer L Rapp
- U.S. Geological Survey , 1730 East Parham Road , Richmond , Virginia 23228 , United States
| | - Chintamani Kandel
- U.S. Geological Survey , 1730 East Parham Road , Richmond , Virginia 23228 , United States
| | - Steffanie H Keefe
- U.S. Geological Survey , 3215 Marine Street , Boulder , Colorado 80303 , United States
| | - Jacelyn Rice
- Department of Engineering Technology and Construction Management , University of North Carolina-Charlotte , Charlotte , North Carolina 28223 , United States
| | - Paul Westerhoff
- School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment , Arizona State University , Tempe , Arizona 85287-3005 , United States
| | - David W Bertolatus
- Department of Integrative Biology , University of Colorado Denver , CB 171, Denver , Colorado 80217 , United States
| | - Alan M Vajda
- Department of Integrative Biology , University of Colorado Denver , CB 171, Denver , Colorado 80217 , United States
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Iwanowicz LR, Pinkney AE, Guy CP, Major AM, Munney K, Blazer VS, Alvarez DA, Walsh HL, Sperry A, Braham R, Sanders LR, Smith DR. Temporal evaluation of estrogenic endocrine disruption markers in smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) reveals seasonal variability in intersex. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 646:245-256. [PMID: 30055487 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.07.167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2018] [Revised: 07/12/2018] [Accepted: 07/13/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
A reconnaissance project completed in 2009 identified intersex and elevated plasma vitellogenin in male smallmouth bass inhabiting the Missisquoi River, VT. In an attempt to identify the presence and seasonality of putative endocrine disrupting chemicals or other factors associated with these observations, a comprehensive reevaluation was conducted between September 2012 and June 2014. Here, we collected smallmouth bass from three physically partitioned reaches along the river to measure biomarkers of estrogenic endocrine disruption in smallmouth bass. In addition, polar organic chemical integrative samples (POCIS) were deployed to identify specific chemicals associated with biological observations. We did not observe biological differences across reaches indicating the absence of clear point source contributions to the observation of intersex. Interestingly, intersex prevalence and severity decreased in a stepwise manner over the timespan of the project. Intersex decreased from 92.8% to 28.1%. The only significant predictor of intersex prevalence was year of capture, based on logistic regression analysis. The mixed model of fish length and year-of-capture best predicted intersex severity. Intersex severity was also significantly different across late summer and early spring collections indicating seasonal changes in this metric. Plasma vitellogenin and liver vitellogenin Aa transcript abundance in males did not indicate exposure to estrogenic endocrine disrupting chemicals at any of the four sample collections. Analysis of chemicals captured by the POCIS as well as results of screening discrete water samples or POCIS extracts did not indicate the contribution of appreciable estrogenic chemicals. It is possible that unreported changes in land-use activity have ameliorated the problem, and our observations indicate recovery. Regardless, this work clearly emphasizes that single, snap shot sampling for intersex may not yield representative data given that the manifestation of this condition within a population can change dramatically over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke R Iwanowicz
- U.S. Geological Survey, Leetown Science Center, Kearneysville, WV, USA.
| | - A E Pinkney
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Chesapeake Bay Field Office, Annapolis, MD, USA
| | - C P Guy
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Chesapeake Bay Field Office, Annapolis, MD, USA
| | - A M Major
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New England Field Office, Concord, NH, USA
| | - K Munney
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New England Field Office, Concord, NH, USA
| | - V S Blazer
- U.S. Geological Survey, Leetown Science Center, Kearneysville, WV, USA
| | - D A Alvarez
- US Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - H L Walsh
- U.S. Geological Survey, Leetown Science Center, Kearneysville, WV, USA
| | - A Sperry
- U.S. Geological Survey, Leetown Science Center, Kearneysville, WV, USA
| | - R Braham
- U.S. Geological Survey, Leetown Science Center, Kearneysville, WV, USA
| | - L R Sanders
- U.S. Geological Survey, Leetown Science Center, Kearneysville, WV, USA
| | - D R Smith
- U.S. Geological Survey, Leetown Science Center, Kearneysville, WV, USA
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Battaglin WA, Bradley PM, Iwanowicz L, Journey CA, Walsh HL, Blazer VS. Pharmaceuticals, hormones, pesticides, and other bioactive contaminants in water, sediment, and tissue from Rocky Mountain National Park, 2012-2013. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 643:651-673. [PMID: 29957431 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.06.150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Revised: 06/12/2018] [Accepted: 06/12/2018] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Pharmaceuticals, hormones, pesticides, and other bioactive contaminants (BCs) are commonly detected in surface water and bed sediment in urban and suburban areas, but these contaminants are understudied in remote locations. In Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), Colorado, USA, BCs may threaten the reproductive success and survival of native aquatic species, benthic communities, and pelagic food webs. In 2012-2013, 67 water, 57 sediment, 63 fish, 10 frog, and 12 quality-control samples (8 water and 4 sediment) were collected from 20 sites in RMNP. Samples were analyzed for 369 parameters including 149 pharmaceuticals, 22 hormones, 137 pesticides, and 61 other chemicals or conditions to provide a representative assessment of BC occurrence within RMNP. Results indicate that BCs were detected in water and/or sediment from both remote and more accessible locations in RMNP. The most commonly detected BCs in water were caffeine, camphor, para-cresol, and DEET; and the most commonly detected BCs in sediment were indole, 3-methyl-1H-indole, para-cresol, and 2,6-dimethyl-naphthalene. Some detected contaminants, including carbaryl, caffeine, and oxycodone, are clearly attributable to direct local human input, whereas others may be transported into the park atmospherically (e.g., atrazine) or have local natural sources (e.g., para-cresol). One or more pharmaceuticals were detected in at least 1 sample from 15 of 20 sites. Most of the 29 detected pharmaceuticals are excreted primarily in human urine, not feces. Elevated net estrogenicity was observed in 18% of water samples, and elevated vitellogenin in blood was observed in 12% of male trout, both evidence of potential endocrine disruption. Hormone concentrations in sediment tended to be greater than concentrations in water. Most BCs were observed at concentrations below those not expected to pose adverse effects to aquatic life. Results indicate that even in remote locations aquatic wildlife can be exposed to pharmaceuticals, hormones, pesticides, and other bioactive contaminants.
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Affiliation(s)
- William A Battaglin
- U.S. Geological Survey, Denver Federal Center, MS 415, Denver, CO 80225-0046, United States of America.
| | - Paul M Bradley
- U.S. Geological Survey, 720 Gracern Rd, Suite 129, Columbia, SC 29210-7651, United States of America
| | - Luke Iwanowicz
- U.S. Geological Survey, Leetown Science Center, Kearneysville, WV 25430, United States of America
| | - Celeste A Journey
- U.S. Geological Survey, 720 Gracern Rd, Suite 129, Columbia, SC 29210-7651, United States of America
| | - Heather L Walsh
- U.S. Geological Survey, Leetown Science Center, Kearneysville, WV 25430, United States of America
| | - Vicki S Blazer
- U.S. Geological Survey, Leetown Science Center, Kearneysville, WV 25430, United States of America
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22
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Markette JAF. Considering Conversion: The Aftermath of Oral Contraceptives. LINACRE QUARTERLY 2018; 85:331-338. [PMID: 32431370 DOI: 10.1177/0024363918815818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In Humanae vitae, Pope Paul VI predicted conjugal infidelity and a loss of respect for women as grave societal consequences through severing the once-connected unitive and procreative goods of conjugal love by using artificial birth control. Almost sixty years after the Food and Drug Administration approved the artificial birth control pill for contraceptive use, these predictions have grown roots. Unfortunately, turning our backs on God's plan for sexuality has disrupted our planet beyond the moral realm and affects the health of women, the health of society, and the health of wildlife in profound and tangible ways. Conversion refers to a change of heart, mind, and behavior concerning the stewardship of the body and creation. As opposed to artificial birth control, no known environmental or personal health risks exist in relation to natural family planning methods. Evangelization with subsequent conversion offers hope in overcoming these concerns surrounding artificial birth control pills, concerns which contribute to maladies in the female body, in society, and in nature. Too many wrestle against Catholic Church teaching prohibiting artificial birth control for birth regulation. However, because humans always have the power of choice in moral acts, our culture is not held captive by the current negative consequences that Pope Paul IV's predicted in Humanae vitae. As mindful stewards of our bodies and of the created world, we have the option of conversion toward truth, which continually beckons and invites.
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Survey of Intersex (Testicular Oocytes) in Black Crappie Collected from the Illinois River Waterway. JOURNAL OF FISH AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT 2018. [DOI: 10.3996/032018-jfwm-021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Researchers have documented intersex (testicular oocytes) in male fishes in many species worldwide and prevalence of the condition is strongly related to exposure to endocrine-disrupting compounds in aquatic ecosystems. There is no available knowledge about the incidence of intersex in Black Crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus, an important North American sport fish. The objective of this survey was to investigate the prevalence and distribution of the intersex condition in Black Crappie collected from portions of the Illinois River waterway. We collected and examined 83 Black Crappie. We observed testicular oocytes in 22 individuals (27% intersex), representing the first documentation of intersex condition in wild Black Crappie. The number of oocytes that we observed in intersex Black Crappie ranged from 1 to 67. We documented intersex in individuals collected from all habitats, but there were no significant differences in the prevalence of the condition (Kruskal–Wallis P = 0.56) or the number of oocytes present (P = 0.25) in intersex males from the different habitats. Permutational multivariate analysis of variance indicated that morphometric parameters varied significantly among locations (P = 0.0001), but did not vary significantly between intersex and normal males. We have little information about the current distribution of endocrine-disrupting compounds in the specific regions where we collected Black Crappie for our study. However, we believe our study represents a valuable effort to detect the condition in an important sport fish and lays a foundation for future research.
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Blazer VS, Walsh HL, Shaw CH, Iwanowicz LR, Braham RP, Mazik PM. Indicators of exposure to estrogenic compounds at Great Lakes Areas of Concern: species and site comparisons. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2018; 190:577. [PMID: 30191322 PMCID: PMC6133019 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-018-6943-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2018] [Accepted: 08/22/2018] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Adverse effects resulting from potential exposure of wild fishes to estrogenic endocrine disruptors were assessed at seven United States Great Lakes Areas of Concern using biomarkers ranging from organismal (gonadosomatic indices) to tissue/plasma (histology, plasma vitellogenin) and molecular (hepatic gene transcripts) levels. Biomonitoring was conducted on pelagic, top predator species, largemouth Micropterus salmoides and smallmouth M. dolomieu bass and benthic, omnivorous white sucker Catostomus commersonii. Seasonal (spring and fall) comparisons were conducted at select sites. Intersex (testicular oocytes), plasma vitellogenin, and hepatic vitellogenin transcripts were commonly observed in bass species. Testicular oocyte severity was positively, although weakly, correlated with plasma vitellogenin, hepatic transcripts of vitellogenin, estrogen receptor α, and estrogen receptor β2, while negatively correlated with androgen receptor β and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase. No testicular oocytes were observed in white sucker; however, plasma vitellogenin and hepatic vitellogenin transcripts were commonly detected in the males. The results demonstrate the importance of utilizing multiple endpoints to assess exposure to estrogenic compounds as well as the importance of choosing sensitive species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicki S. Blazer
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Fish Health Research Laboratory, Leetown Science Center, 11649 Leetown Road, Kearneysville, WV USA
| | - Heather L. Walsh
- College of Agriculture and Forestry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506 USA
| | - Cassidy H. Shaw
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Fish Health Research Laboratory, Leetown Science Center, 11649 Leetown Road, Kearneysville, WV USA
| | - Luke R. Iwanowicz
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Fish Health Research Laboratory, Leetown Science Center, 11649 Leetown Road, Kearneysville, WV USA
| | - Ryan P. Braham
- College of Agriculture and Forestry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506 USA
| | - Patricia M. Mazik
- U.S. Geological Survey, Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506 USA
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25
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Kadlec SM, Johnson RD, Mount DR, Olker JH, Borkholder BD, Schoff PK. Testicular oocytes in smallmouth bass in northeastern Minnesota in relation to varying levels of human activity. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2017; 36:3424-3435. [PMID: 28745404 PMCID: PMC5815370 DOI: 10.1002/etc.3928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2017] [Revised: 04/02/2017] [Accepted: 07/24/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Testicular oocytes (TOs) have been found in black bass (Micropterus spp.) from many locations in North America. The presence of TOs is often assumed to imply exposure to estrogenic endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs); however, a definitive causal relationship has yet to be established, and TO prevalence is not consistently low in fish from areas lacking evident EDC sources. This might indicate any of a number of situations: 1) unknown or unidentified EDCs or EDC sources, 2) induction of TOs by other stressors, or 3) testicular oocytes occurring spontaneously during normal development. In the present study, we analyzed TO occurrence in smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) from 8 populations in northeastern Minnesota watersheds with differing degrees of human development and, hence, presumed likelihood of exposure to anthropogenic chemicals. Three watersheds were categorized as moderately developed, based on the presence of municipal wastewater discharges and higher human population density (4-81 per km2 ), and 5 watersheds were minimally developed, with very low human population density (0-1 per km2 ) and minimal built environment. Testicular tissues from mature fish were evaluated using a semiquantitative method that estimated TO density, normalized by cross-sectional area. Testicular oocyte prevalence and density among populations from moderately developed watersheds was higher than in populations from minimally developed watersheds. However, TO prevalence was unexpectedly high and variable (7-43%) in some populations from minimally developed watersheds, and only weak evidence was found for a relationship between TO density and watershed development, suggesting alternative or more complex explanations for TO presence in smallmouth bass from this region. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:3424-3435. © 2017 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M. Kadlec
- University of Minnesota, Integrated Biosciences Graduate Program, 251 Swenson Science Building, 1035 Kirby Drive, Duluth, MN, USA, 55812
| | - Rodney D. Johnson
- University of Minnesota, Integrated Biosciences Graduate Program, 251 Swenson Science Building, 1035 Kirby Drive, Duluth, MN, USA, 55812
- U.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development, Mid-Continent Ecology Division, Duluth, MN, USA
| | - David R. Mount
- University of Minnesota, Integrated Biosciences Graduate Program, 251 Swenson Science Building, 1035 Kirby Drive, Duluth, MN, USA, 55812
- U.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development, Mid-Continent Ecology Division, Duluth, MN, USA
| | - Jennifer H. Olker
- University of Minnesota-Duluth, Natural Resources Research Institute, Duluth, MN
| | - Brian D. Borkholder
- Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Resources Management Division, Cloquet, MN, USA
| | - Patrick K. Schoff
- University of Minnesota, Integrated Biosciences Graduate Program, 251 Swenson Science Building, 1035 Kirby Drive, Duluth, MN, USA, 55812
- University of Minnesota-Duluth, Natural Resources Research Institute, Duluth, MN
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26
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Abdel-Moneim A, Deegan D, Gao J, De Perre C, Doucette JS, Jenkinson B, Lee L, Sepúlveda MS. Gonadal intersex in smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu from northern Indiana with correlations to molecular biomarkers and anthropogenic chemicals. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2017; 230:1099-1107. [PMID: 28783897 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2017.07.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2017] [Revised: 06/29/2017] [Accepted: 07/16/2017] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Over the past decade, studies have shown that exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can cause gonadal intersex in fish. Smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) males appear to be highly susceptible to developing testicular oocytes (TO), the most prevalent form of gonadal intersex, as observed in various areas across the U.S. In this study, prevalence and severity of TO was quantified for smallmouth bass sampled from the St. Joseph River in northern Indiana, intersex biomarkers were developed, and association between TO prevalence and organic contaminants were explored. At some sites, TO prevalence reached maximum levels before decreasing significantly after the spawning season. We examined the relationship between TO presence and expression of gonadal and liver genes involved in sex differentiation and reproductive functions (esr1, esr2, foxl2, fshr, star, lhr and vtg). We found that vitellogenin (vtg) transcript levels were significantly higher in the liver of males with TO, but only when sampled during the spawning season. Further, we identified a positive correlation between plasma VTG levels and vtg transcript levels, suggesting its use as a non-destructive biomarker of TO in this species. Finally, we evaluated 43 contaminants in surface water at representative sites using passive sampling to look for contaminants with possible links to the observed TO prevalence. No quantifiable levels of estrogens or other commonly agreed upon EDCs such as the bisphenols were observed in our contaminant assessment; however, we did find high levels of herbicides as well as consistent quantifiable levels of PFOS, PFOA, and triclosan in the watershed where high TO prevalence was exhibited. Our findings suggest that the observed TO prevalence may be the result of exposures to mixtures of nonsteroidal EDCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Abdel-Moneim
- Department of Forestry & Natural Resources and Bindley Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; Department of Veterinary Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Assiut University, Assiut 71526, Egypt
| | - Daragh Deegan
- City of Elkhart, Public Works and Utilities Department, Elkhart, Indiana 46516, USA
| | - Jiejun Gao
- Department of Forestry & Natural Resources and Bindley Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Chloe De Perre
- Department of Agronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Jarrod S Doucette
- Department of Forestry & Natural Resources and Bindley Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | | | - Linda Lee
- Department of Agronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Maria S Sepúlveda
- Department of Forestry & Natural Resources and Bindley Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
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27
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Baker BB, Yee JS, Meyer DN, Yang D, Baker TR. Histological and Transcriptomic Changes in Male Zebrafish Testes Due to Early Life Exposure to Low Level 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-Dioxin. Zebrafish 2017; 13:413-23. [PMID: 27618130 DOI: 10.1089/zeb.2016.1275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
We have shown that zebrafish (Danio rerio) are an excellent model for evaluating the link between early life stage exposure to environmental chemicals and disease in adulthood and subsequent unexposed generations. Previously, we used this model to identify transgenerational effects of dioxin (2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin [TCDD]) on skeletal development, sex ratio, and reproductive capacity. Transgenerational inheritance of TCDD toxicity, notably decreased reproductive capacity, appears to be mediated through the male germ line. Thus, we examine testicular tissue for structural and gene expression changes using histology, microarray, and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Histological analysis revealed decreased spermatozoa with concurrent increase in spermatogonia, and decreased germinal epithelium thickness in TCDD-exposed males compared with controls. We also identified altered expression of genes associated with testis development, steroidogenesis, spermatogenesis, hormone metabolism, and xenobiotic response. Altered genes are in pathways involving lipid metabolism, molecular transport, small molecule biochemistry, cell morphology, and metabolism of vitamins and minerals. These data will inform future investigations to elucidate the mechanism of adult-onset and transgenerational infertility due to TCDD exposure in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridget B Baker
- 1 Fisheries Management, Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Division, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources , Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Jeremiah S Yee
- 2 Molecular and Environmental Toxicology Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Danielle N Meyer
- 3 Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University , Detroit, Michigan
| | - Doris Yang
- 4 School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Tracie R Baker
- 2 Molecular and Environmental Toxicology Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison, Wisconsin.,3 Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University , Detroit, Michigan.,4 School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison, Wisconsin.,5 Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Center for Urban Responses to Environmental Stressors, Wayne State University , Detroit, Michigan
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28
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Hubbard LE, Kolpin DW, Fields CL, Hladik ML, Iwanowicz LR. Highlighting the complexities of a groundwater pilot study during an avian influenza outbreak: Methods, lessons learned, and select contaminant results. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2017; 158:212-224. [PMID: 28654877 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2017.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2017] [Revised: 06/02/2017] [Accepted: 06/15/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N2) outbreak in the Midwestern United States (US) in 2015 was historic due to the number of birds and poultry operations impacted and the corresponding economic loss to the poultry industry and was the largest animal health emergency in US history. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), with the assistance of several state and federal agencies, aided the response to the outbreak by developing a study to determine the extent of virus transport in the environment. The study goals were to: develop the appropriate sampling methods and protocols for measuring avian influenza virus (AIV) in groundwater, provide the first baseline data on AIV and outbreak- and poultry-related contaminant occurrence and movement into groundwater, and document climatological factors that may have affected both survival and transport of AIV to groundwater during the months of the 2015 outbreak. While site selection was expedient, there were often delays in sample response times due to both relationship building between agencies, groups, and producers and logistical time constraints. This study's design and sampling process highlights the unpredictable nature of disease outbreaks and the corresponding difficulty in environmental sampling of such events. The lessons learned, including field protocols and approaches, can be used to improve future research on AIV in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura E Hubbard
- US Geological Survey, Wisconsin Water Science Center, 8505 Research Way, Middleton, WI 53562, USA.
| | - Dana W Kolpin
- US Geological Survey, Iowa Water Science Center, 400 S Clinton St Suite 269, Iowa City, IA 52240, USA
| | - Chad L Fields
- Iowa Department of Natural Resources, 502 E. 9th Street, Des Moines, IA 50319, USA
| | - Michelle L Hladik
- US Geological Survey, Sacramento Water Science Center, 6000 J Street Placer Hall, Sacramento, CA 95819, USA
| | - Luke R Iwanowicz
- US Geological Survey, Leetown Science Center, 11649 Leetown Road, Kearneysville, WV 25430, USA
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29
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Braham RP, Blazer VS, Shaw CH, Mazik PM. Micronuclei and other erythrocyte nuclear abnormalities in fishes from the Great Lakes Basin, USA. ENVIRONMENTAL AND MOLECULAR MUTAGENESIS 2017; 58:570-581. [PMID: 28868735 PMCID: PMC5656883 DOI: 10.1002/em.22123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2017] [Accepted: 06/20/2017] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Biological markers (biomarkers) sensitive to genotoxic and mutagenic contamination in fishes are widely used to identify exposure effects in aquatic environments. The micronucleus assay was incorporated into a suite of indicators to assess exposure to genotoxic and mutagenic contamination at five Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs), as well as one non-AOC (reference) site. The assay allowed enumeration of micronuclei as well as other nuclear abnormalities for both site and species comparisons. Erythrocyte abnormality data was also compared to skin and liver tumor prevalence and hepatic transcript abundance. Erythrocyte abnormalities were observed at all sites with variable occurrence and severity among sites and species. Benthic-oriented brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus) and white sucker (Catostomus commersonii) expressed lower rates of erythrocyte abnormalities, but higher rates of skin and liver neoplasms, when compared to pelagic-oriented largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) or smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) at the same site. The reduced erythrocyte abnormalities, increased transcript abundance associated with Phase I and II toxicant responsive pathways, and increased neoplastic lesions among benthic-oriented taxa may indicate the development of contaminant resistance of these species to more acute effects. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 58:570-581, 2017. © 2017 This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Environmental Mutagen Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan P. Braham
- School of Natural ResourcesWest Virginia UniversityMorgantownWest Virgina26506
| | - Vicki S. Blazer
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Fish Health Research LaboratoryLeetown Science CenterKearneysvilleWest Virgina25430
| | - Cassidy H. Shaw
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Fish Health Research LaboratoryLeetown Science CenterKearneysvilleWest Virgina25430
- Present address:
U.S. Department of AgricultureCool and Cold Water Aquaculture Research11861 Leetown Road, KearneysvilleWest Virgina25430
| | - Patricia M. Mazik
- U.S. Geological Survey, West Virginia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research UnitWest Virginia UniversityMorgantownWest Virgina26506
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30
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MacLeod AH, Blazer VS, Matsche MA, Yonkos LT. Nonlethal laparoscopic detection of intersex (testicular oocytes) in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) and smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu). ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2017; 36:1924-1933. [PMID: 27996180 DOI: 10.1002/etc.3716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2016] [Revised: 11/22/2016] [Accepted: 12/16/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Intersex in wild fish populations has received considerable attention in the scientific literature and public media. Conventional detection of testicular oocytes, the presence of immature oocytes within testis of male fish, commonly employs transverse sectioning of excised testis and is lethal. The present study used a nonlethal laparoscopic technique to collect biopsies of testis from black bass, entering the body cavity via the genital pore. Detection of testicular oocytes was compared between biopsy and conventional methods using 79 smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) from 8 sites and 68 largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) from 4 sites. The 2 methods performed similarly at sites where testicular oocyte severity was moderate or high (6 of 8 smallmouth bass sites), whereas transverse sectioning resulted in superior testicular oocyte detection at sites where severity was low (2 of 8 smallmouth bass sites and all 4 largemouth bass sites). In smallmouth bass, testicular oocyte prevalence by transverse and biopsy methods was strongly correlated across sites (r2 = 0.81) and severity reported by enumeration of testicular oocytes was moderately correlated across sites (r2 = 0.59). Survival of a subset of largemouth bass (n = 20) to 28 d after laparoscopic surgery was 90%. The present research indicates that laparoscopy may be useful for monitoring the prevalence and severity of testicular oocytes in Micropterus species, particularly when lethal sampling is precluded. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:1924-1933. © 2016 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander H MacLeod
- Department of Environmental Science and Technology, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Vicki S Blazer
- US Geological Survey, National Fish Health Research Laboratory, Kearneysville, West Virginia, USA
| | - Mark A Matsche
- Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Cooperative Oxford Laboratory, Oxford, Maryland, USA
| | - Lance T Yonkos
- Department of Environmental Science and Technology, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
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Dong X, Zhang Y, Dong J, Zhao Y, Guo J, Wang Z, Liu M, Na X, Wang C. Urinary metabolomic profiling in rats exposed to dietary di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) using ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOF-MS). ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2017; 24:16659-16672. [PMID: 28560624 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-9091-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2016] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is an omnipresent environmental chemical with widespread nonoccupational human exposure through multiple ways. Although considerable efforts have been invested to investigate mechanisms of DEHP toxicity, the key metabolic biomarkers of DEHP toxicity remain to be identified. The aim of this study was to assess the urinary metabonomics of dietary DEHP in rats using the technique of ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOF-MS). Fourteen female Wistar rats were divided into two groups and given increasing dietary doses of DEHP for 30 consecutive days. The urinary metabolite profile was studied using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry. Principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) enabled clusters to be clearly separated. Eleven principal urinary metabolites were identified as contributing to the clusters. The clusters in the positive electrospray ionization (ESI) mode were xanthurenic acid, kynurenic acid, nonate, N6-methyladenosine, and L-isoleucyl-L-proline. The clusters in the negative ESI mode were hippuric acid, tetrahydrocortisol, citric acid, phenylpropionylglycine, cPA(18:2(9Z, 12Z)/0:0), and LysoPC(14:1(9Z)). The urinary metabonomic changes indicated that exposure to dietary DEHP can affect energy-related metabolism, liver and renal function, fatty acid metabolism, and cause DNA damage in rats. The findings of this study on the urinary metabolites and metabolic pathways of DEHP may form the basis for future studies on the mechanisms of toxicity of this commonly found environmental chemical.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinwen Dong
- Department of Environmental Hygiene, Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Yunbo Zhang
- Department of Environmental Hygiene, Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Jin Dong
- Department of Environmental Hygiene, Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Yue Zhao
- Department of Environmental Hygiene, Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Jipeng Guo
- Department of Environmental Hygiene, Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Zhanju Wang
- Department of Environmental Hygiene, Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Mingqi Liu
- Department of Environmental Hygiene, Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Xiaolin Na
- Department of Environmental Hygiene, Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China.
| | - Cheng Wang
- Department of Environmental Hygiene, Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China.
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Lee Pow CSD, Law JM, Kwak TJ, Cope WG, Rice JA, Kullman SW, Aday DD. Endocrine active contaminants in aquatic systems and intersex in common sport fishes. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2017; 36:959-968. [PMID: 27583571 DOI: 10.1002/etc.3607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2016] [Revised: 07/11/2016] [Accepted: 08/30/2016] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Male fish are susceptible to developing intersex, a condition characterized by the presence of testicular oocytes. In the present study, the relationship between intersex and exposure to estrogenic endocrine active contaminants (EACs) was assessed for 2 genera of sport fish, Micropterus and Lepomis, at 20 riverine sites. Seasonal trends and relationships between EACs and intersex (prevalence and severity) were examined at varying putative sources of EACs throughout North Carolina, identified as point sources, nonpoint sources, and reference sites. Intersex was identified in both genera, which was documented for the first time in wild-caught Lepomis. Intersex was more prevalent (59.8%) and more severe (1.6 mean rank) in Micropterus, which was highly correlation to EACs in sediment. In contrast, intersex was less common (9.9%) and less severe (0.2 mean rank) in Lepomis and was highly correlated to EACs in the water column. The authors found that concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, industrial EACs, and estrogens were highest at point source sites; however, no source type variation was identified in the prevalence or severity of intersex, nor were there seasonal trends in intersex or EAC concentrations. The authors' results associate genus-specific prevalence of intersex with specific EAC classes in common sport fishes having biological, ecological, and conservation implications. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:959-968. © 2016 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Crystal S D Lee Pow
- Department of Biological Sciences, Environmental and Molecular Toxicology Program, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - J Mac Law
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Thomas J Kwak
- US Geological Survey, North Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - W Gregory Cope
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - James A Rice
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Seth W Kullman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Environmental and Molecular Toxicology Program, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - D Derek Aday
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
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Sijaona CM, Faith PM, Bjarne S, Robinson HM. Pollution by endocrine disrupting estrogens in aquatic ecosystems in Morogoro urban and peri-urban areas in Tanzania. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.5897/ajest2016.2234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
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34
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Cozzarelli IM, Skalak KJ, Kent DB, Engle MA, Benthem A, Mumford AC, Haase K, Farag A, Harper D, Nagel SC, Iwanowicz LR, Orem WH, Akob DM, Jaeschke JB, Galloway J, Kohler M, Stoliker DL, Jolly GD. Environmental signatures and effects of an oil and gas wastewater spill in the Williston Basin, North Dakota. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2017; 579:1781-1793. [PMID: 27939081 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.11.157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Revised: 11/21/2016] [Accepted: 11/22/2016] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Wastewaters from oil and gas development pose largely unknown risks to environmental resources. In January 2015, 11.4ML (million liters) of wastewater (300g/L TDS) from oil production in the Williston Basin was reported to have leaked from a pipeline, spilling into Blacktail Creek, North Dakota. Geochemical and biological samples were collected in February and June 2015 to identify geochemical signatures of spilled wastewaters as well as biological responses along a 44-km river reach. February water samples had elevated chloride (1030mg/L) and bromide (7.8mg/L) downstream from the spill, compared to upstream levels (11mg/L and <0.4mg/L, respectively). Lithium (0.25mg/L), boron (1.75mg/L) and strontium (7.1mg/L) were present downstream at 5-10 times upstream concentrations. Light hydrocarbon measurements indicated a persistent thermogenic source of methane in the stream. Semi-volatile hydrocarbons indicative of oil were not detected in filtered samples but low levels, including tetramethylbenzenes and di-methylnaphthalenes, were detected in unfiltered water samples downstream from the spill. Labile sediment-bound barium and strontium concentrations (June 2015) were higher downstream from the Spill Site. Radium activities in sediment downstream from the Spill Site were up to 15 times the upstream activities and, combined with Sr isotope ratios, suggest contributions from the pipeline fluid and support the conclusion that elevated concentrations in Blacktail Creek water are from the leaking pipeline. Results from June 2015 demonstrate the persistence of wastewater effects in Blacktail Creek several months after remediation efforts started. Aquatic health effects were observed in June 2015; fish bioassays showed only 2.5% survival at 7.1km downstream from the spill compared to 89% at the upstream reference site. Additional potential biological impacts were indicated by estrogenic inhibition in downstream waters. Our findings demonstrate that environmental signatures from wastewater spills are persistent and create the potential for long-term environmental health effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- I M Cozzarelli
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Research Program, Reston, VA 20192, USA.
| | - K J Skalak
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Research Program, Reston, VA 20192, USA
| | - D B Kent
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Research Program, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | - M A Engle
- U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Energy Resources Science Center, Reston, VA 20192, USA
| | - A Benthem
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Research Program, Reston, VA 20192, USA
| | - A C Mumford
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Research Program, Reston, VA 20192, USA
| | - K Haase
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Research Program, Reston, VA 20192, USA
| | - A Farag
- U.S. Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Jackson Field Research Station, Jackson, WY 83001, USA
| | - D Harper
- U.S. Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Jackson Field Research Station, Jackson, WY 83001, USA
| | - S C Nagel
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - L R Iwanowicz
- U.S. Geological Survey, Leetown Science Center, Kearneysville, WV 25430, USA
| | - W H Orem
- U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Energy Resources Science Center, Reston, VA 20192, USA
| | - D M Akob
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Research Program, Reston, VA 20192, USA
| | - J B Jaeschke
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Research Program, Reston, VA 20192, USA
| | - J Galloway
- U.S. Geological Survey, North Dakota Water Science Center, Bismarck, ND 58503, USA
| | - M Kohler
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Research Program, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | - D L Stoliker
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Research Program, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | - G D Jolly
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Research Program, Reston, VA 20192, USA
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Pinkney AE, Myers MS, Rutter MA. Histopathology of brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus), smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu), and yellow perch (Perca flavescens) in relation to polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination in the Hudson River. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2017; 575:1325-1338. [PMID: 27751691 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.09.209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2016] [Revised: 09/23/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
From the 1940s through 1977, at least 590,000kg of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were released into the Hudson River from General Electric manufacturing plants located in Hudson Falls and Fort Edward, New York. In 1984, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency designated a nearly 322km reach as the Hudson River PCBs Superfund Site. Here we describe a Fish Health Assessment study, part of a Natural Resource Damage Assessment, that evaluated the prevalence of toxicopathic lesions in adult brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus), smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu), and yellow perch (Perca flavescens). In fall 2001, 29-51 fish of each species were collected in fall 2001 from highly contaminated areas below the plants (Thompson Island Pool (TIP) and Stillwater Dam Pool (STW)), an upriver reference area (Feeder Dam Pool (FDP)), and a reference lake, Oneida Lake (ODA). The focus was on histopathologic lesions and observations associated with contaminant exposure: liver-neoplasms, foci of cellular alteration, bile duct hyperplasia; testes-ovotestis (testicular oocytes), germ cell degeneration, altered developmental stage; ovaries-atresia and altered developmental stage. Lesions associated with PCB exposure were defined as those with significantly greater prevalence and/or severity in TIP and STW compared with ODA and FDP. For brown bullhead and smallmouth bass, no lesions or changes in gonadal development met those criteria. In yellow perch, ovarian atresia was the only lesion associated with PCB exposure. Prevalence was 53% in FDP, 75% in ODA, and 100% in both STW and TIP; severity increased from mostly minimal to mild-moderate. Because of the high prevalence of atresia in reference collections, it is likely that factors other than PCBs are also involved. As part of a post-dredging monitoring plan, we recommend assessing gonad structure and function in yellow perch collected at the time of spawning in locations with a range of PCB contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfred E Pinkney
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Chesapeake Bay Field Office, 177 Admiral Cochrane Drive, Annapolis, MD 21401, USA.
| | - Mark S Myers
- Myers Ecotoxicology Services, LLC, 19604 12th Ave NW, Shoreline, WA 98177, USA
| | - Michael A Rutter
- Rutter Statistical Consulting, 2150 Cemetery Road, North East, PA 16428, USA
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Feswick A, Loughery JR, Isaacs MA, Munkittrick KR, Martyniuk CJ. Molecular initiating events of the intersex phenotype: Low-dose exposure to 17α-ethinylestradiol rapidly regulates molecular networks associated with gonad differentiation in the adult fathead minnow testis. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2016; 181:46-56. [PMID: 27810492 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2016.10.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2016] [Revised: 10/23/2016] [Accepted: 10/24/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Intersex, or the presence of oocytes in the testes, has been documented in fish following exposure to wastewater effluent and estrogenic compounds. However, the molecular networks underlying the intersex condition are not completely known. To address this, we exposed male fathead minnows to a low, environmentally-relevant concentration of 17alpha-ethinylestradiol (EE2) (15ng/L) and measured the transcriptome response in the testis after 96h to identify early molecular initiating events that may proceed the intersex condition. The short-term exposure to EE2 did not affect gonadosomatic index and proportion of gametes within the testes. However, the production of 11-ketotestosterone and testosterone from the testis in vitro was decreased relative to controls. Expression profiling using a 8×60K fathead minnow microarray identified 10 transcripts that were differentially expressed in the testes, the most dramatic change being that of coagulation factor XIII A chain (20-fold increase). Transcripts that included guanine nucleotide binding protein (Beta Polypeptide 2), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta, and WNK lysine deficient protein kinase 1a, were down-regulated by EE2. Subnetwork enrichment analysis revealed that EE2 suppressed transcriptional networks associated with steroid metabolism, hormone biosynthesis, and sperm mobility. Most interesting was that gene networks associated with doublesex and mab-3 related transcription factor 1 (dmrt1) were suppressed in the adult testis, despite the fact that dmrt1 itself was not different in expression from control males. Transcriptional networks involving forkhead box L2 (foxl2) (transcript involved in ovarian follicle development) were increased in expression in the testis. Noteworthy was that a gene network associated to granulosa cell development was increased over 100%, suggesting that this transcriptome network may be important for monitoring estrogenic exposures. Other cell processes rapidly downregulated by EE2 at the transcript level included glucose homeostasis, response to heavy metal, amino acid catabolism, and the cyclooxygenase pathway. Conversely, lymphocyte chemotaxis, intermediate filament polymerization, glucocorticoid metabolism, carbohydrate utilization, and anterior/posterior axis specification were increased. These data provide new insight into the transcriptional responses that are perturbed prior to gonadal remodeling and intersex following exposure to estrogens. These data demonstrate that low concentrations of EE2 (1) rapidly suppresses male hormone production, (2) down-regulate molecular networks related to male sex differentiation, and (3) induce transcriptional networks related to granulosa cell development in the adult testis. These responses are hypothesized to be key molecular initiating events that occur prior to the development of the intersex phenotype following estrogenic exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
- April Feswick
- Canadian Rivers Institute and Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, New Brunswick E2L 4L5, Canada
| | - Jennifer R Loughery
- Canadian Rivers Institute and Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, New Brunswick E2L 4L5, Canada
| | - Meghan A Isaacs
- Canadian Rivers Institute and Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, New Brunswick E2L 4L5, Canada
| | - Kelly R Munkittrick
- Canadian Rivers Institute and Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, New Brunswick E2L 4L5, Canada
| | - Christopher J Martyniuk
- Canadian Rivers Institute and Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, New Brunswick E2L 4L5, Canada.
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Hahn CM, Iwanowicz LR, Cornman RS, Mazik PM, Blazer VS. Transcriptome discovery in non-model wild fish species for the development of quantitative transcript abundance assays. COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY D-GENOMICS & PROTEOMICS 2016; 20:27-40. [PMID: 27497300 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbd.2016.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2016] [Revised: 06/04/2016] [Accepted: 07/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Environmental studies increasingly identify the presence of both contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) and legacy contaminants in aquatic environments; however, the biological effects of these compounds on resident fishes remain largely unknown. High throughput methodologies were employed to establish partial transcriptomes for three wild-caught, non-model fish species; smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu), white sucker (Catostomus commersonii) and brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus). Sequences from these transcriptome databases were utilized in the development of a custom nCounter CodeSet that allowed for direct multiplexed measurement of 50 transcript abundance endpoints in liver tissue. Sequence information was also utilized in the development of quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) primers. Cross-species hybridization allowed the smallmouth bass nCounter CodeSet to be used for quantitative transcript abundance analysis of an additional non-model species, largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). We validated the nCounter analysis data system with qPCR for a subset of genes and confirmed concordant results. Changes in transcript abundance biomarkers between sexes and seasons were evaluated to provide baseline data on transcript modulation for each species of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassidy M Hahn
- West Virginia University, School of Natural Resources, 322 Percival Hall, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA; US Geological Survey, Leetown Science Center, 11649 Leetown Road, Kearneysville, WV 25430, USA.
| | - Luke R Iwanowicz
- US Geological Survey, Leetown Science Center, 11649 Leetown Road, Kearneysville, WV 25430, USA
| | - Robert S Cornman
- US Geological Survey, Leetown Science Center, 11649 Leetown Road, Kearneysville, WV 25430, USA
| | - Patricia M Mazik
- West Virginia University, School of Natural Resources, 322 Percival Hall, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
| | - Vicki S Blazer
- US Geological Survey, Leetown Science Center, 11649 Leetown Road, Kearneysville, WV 25430, USA
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